Can I use Avios for LATAM flights?

Can you spend your Avios points on flights on LATAM?

In this article I want to look at how you can use your Avios to fly with partner airlines like LATAM.

EDIT:  This article is now out of date. LATAM left the oneworld alliance in 2021. You can still earn Avios on selected LATAM flights (click here) but you can no longer spend Avios on LATAM.

The good news is that you are not restricted to spending Avios points on British Airways.  BA is part of a global airline alliance called oneworld, and this allows you to redeem Avios for flights with all of the member airlines.

This means that you can book Avios flights on:

• American Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• LATAM (Latin America)
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Jordanian
• S7 Airlines (Russia)
• SriLankan Airlines

British Airways also has additional partnerships with Aer Lingus and Alaska Airlines.  Fiji Airways and Royal Air Maroc will be added during 2019/20.

How do you book LATAM flights with Avios?

It’s easy.  You do it exactly the same way that you would when booking Avios redemption flights on British Airways.

Go to ba.com, log in to the British Airways Executive Club section and then go to the Avios booking page.

The process is identical to booking a BA flight with points.

Here’s a tip – remember that you don’t need to start your flight in the UK.  You might find more seats by searching from a different departure city elsewhere in Europe and buying a cash flight to connect with it.

What are the cancellation rules on LATAM flights booked with Avios?

The cancellation and change fee rules are the same as if you had booked a BA flight.  You can cancel your flight up to 24 hours before departure, either online or by calling BA.

100% of your Avios will be refunded.

Your taxes and charges payment will also be refunded, less a £35 cancellation fee per person.  If the taxes and charges were less than £35 per person, you do not need to pay any extra.

How many Avios will I need to book on LATAM?

British Airways has a separate pricing chart for reward flights on partner airlines.  Here is the table:

As you can see, it is very easy to book LATAM flights with Avios points and it opens up a large number of new travel destinations for you.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works.  You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 2.0 million monthly page views.  Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios?  Click here to read our latest news stories, click here to join our email list and click here to read our ‘Avios Redemption University’ series.)

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (September 2022)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points.

EDIT: Until 25th October 2022, there is an exceptionally generous sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card. You will receive 60,000 Membership Rewards points – double the usual amount – and £200 to spend at Amex Travel. You need to spend £6,000 within six months to earn the bonus.

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,000 Avios.

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.

There are also good bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These are available to sole traders as well as limited companies.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.